The new news 24 thread

[hairnet]

not a boast is it mo ?

 

[barefoot]

I followed a Citroën Ami the other day. It was very small and very slow. So I overtook it.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

2 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Where abouts you headed? I was in Dover yesterday:

I'm in Belgium! 😃

[Lord Sterling]

8 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

I'm in Belgium! 😃

😲! That's where I am. Diegem to be exact.

If your free soon, let me know, we could probably do a quick AS Belgium meet up?

[crad]

what a find

[SiC]

After nearly 2 years of back order, the rear shock absorbers for Mrs SiC Civic estate have come back in stock. Hnnnnnnngh at the price.

No idea why but Honda decided to put adaptive suspension on the back of a bland estate but they have. Base spec doesn't have them (conventional shocks) but anything above has. Disconnect them and you get a dash warning that you can't code out afaik. 

The problem is, like every adaptive suspension I've known, the shocks blow out by 100k miles. We're currently on 116k and there is a lot of squeaking coming from HR back end, so suspecting they maybe failing. 

 I've bitten the bullet and bought a pair. Even if it doesn't need it now, there will be a very high chance in the future it will. These used to be £150 a piece until Honda ran out of stock and had to get ZF specially make a batch. Given how long they've been NLA, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of owners will be snapping these up and go out of stock again. Plus with the world leaders fighting with tariffs, there is a good chance prices could rise again. 

[captain_70s]

Honda parts in general never seem to be cheap. When I had my Civic everything seemed to cost double what a comparable Ford/Vauxhall part would...

[Metal Guru]

8 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

Honda parts in general never seem to be cheap. When I had my Civic everything seemed to cost double what a comparable Ford/Vauxhall part would...

Their lawn mower parts are even worse. Four times comparable parts on other makes.

 

 

[SiC]

13 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

Honda parts in general never seem to be cheap. When I had my Civic everything seemed to cost double what a comparable Ford/Vauxhall part would...

The big issue I find with Honda is there isn't much in the way of aftermarket parts for a lot of it. Presumably because there is often not enough volume in both number of cars made and number of cars failing to be viable. 

These shocks are also only available as OE Honda - no one else makes them apart from ZF 😕

It was very tempting to figure if there was a way to make standard non adaptive work. There must be some module that can be replaced with a lower spec car that doesn't do it.  Problem is that no one else has done it and I'd be the one spending out experimenting - possibly spending more than just buying the parts.

There are modules to by-pass them for the Civic Type R (they have them all round) but those modules are the same price as one of these shocks. Plus it'd be a conversation with the insurance company on every renewal with none understanding why I fitted shocks from a lower model or thinking I'm running it as a bargain basement budget. 

[wesacosa]

https://click.msv-email.com/ct/m12/k1/0dJ84Z2jTIArK8l6uE0IAxqSLXW74RMudZzsZfsT7BnehSbs-AQJVR3ksZK0hcIYyCnGez2sEBr0PTvil9nhBg/XYhkpKLmwGChhN3

Looks like Brands want in on the Fotu action 

[barefoot]

I'd have clicked a like, but I'm just thrilled that AS is so far ahead of the game. Fotu, MatH, what next?

[Schaefft]

Why do they all have to be so far down south?

[loserone]

39 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Why do they all have to be so far down south?

Shite at Blair Which?

[Schaefft]

11 minutes ago, loserone said:

Shite at Blair Which?

I think you are right, I'll just host my own event.

[loserone]

You won't even need to leave your garden

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Schaefft said:

Why do they all have to be so far down south?

What? We get nothing dahn sarf, it's all norf, welsh or scotch 😀

[Spottedlaurel]

Not yet a grin, but had probably my first drive of the LS400 this year and tootled over to the garage for an MoT:

Nothing too alarming there. Be interesting to see what options they come up with for tyres, mine is an early one with 15" wheels and it might be difficult to find some with the right speed/load rating but I'd really like to keep them as they're part of its charm (and also contribute to its smooth ride). BlackCircles lists the 16" wheels, which came in with the '93 on Mk2 model. Not sure my ex-Camry Sport 17" wheels would look quite right.....

Was a busy day at the garage with a few old cars there being readied for the season - E-Type, MGA, Stag and others.

[artdjones]

15 hours ago, captain_70s said:

Honda parts in general never seem to be cheap. When I had my Civic everything seemed to cost double what a comparable Ford/Vauxhall part would...

I noticed that even on Autodoc the cheapest DMF for a 1.6 diesel Civic was over €1k and only Exedy did them.

In other news, I went and checked this out for my nephew last night. A surprisingly nice feeling car to drive. A purchase was arranged, very necessary as a baby is arriving soon, and his wife's A3's DSG box has been stripped out for months awaiting parts. Either that, or the garage doesn't know what they are doing.

[Schaefft]

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Not yet a grin, but had probably my first drive of the LS400 this year and tootled over to the garage for an MoT:

Nothing too alarming there. Be interesting to see what options they come up with for tyres, mine is an early one with 15" wheels and it might be diffuclt to find some with the right speed/load rating but I'd really like to keep them as they're part of its charm (and also contribute to its smooth ride). BlackCircles lists the 16" wheels, which came in with the '93 on Mk2 model. Not sure my ex-Camry Sport 17" wheels would look quite right.....

Was a busy day at the garage with a few old cars there being readied for the season - E-Type, MGA, Stag and others.

Really not looking bad at all. I'd keep the original wheels as well, I have 16s from the facelift second gen on mine but the 15s suit yours very well, keeping the look of the original LS400.

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Autodoc the cheapest DMF for a 1.6 diesel Civic was over €1k

HFM? They're €200 (ish) on the PSA 1.6 DV6 engines - is the Honda engine v.rare?

[wesacosa]

Why do I keep doing this to myself 

Avid readers may remember my Favorit dumped it's coolant on the way to the Enfield paegent last June through a split water pump hose. I hoped I'd turned it off on time but these engines are marginal on the HGs and this ones been on about 90k according to receipts. I refilled and bled it a couple of times and idled it for a bit and checked heater temperature, hose temperature and signs of overpressuring and all seems ok.  So plenty of time to do a few road tests and make sure all is ok?

Of course not, I parked it up and then remembered the MOT is due on Monday and the tax on Sunday so its maiden voyage since returning on a tow truck was an nice 50 mile round trip taking in such delights as the Blackwall tunnel, a13, m25 and Dartford crossing with the added threat of being unable to tax it if it failed or broke down before the MOT and no off-road parking without threatening my relationship with Ms W as the Panda took her parking space for 7 months last year in a similar situation

anyway, need not have worried, I took it pretty easy with heater on full blast and fan override switch on but made it there and back without a hitch and passed too.  I wasn't too worried about failing, I've changed pretty much all the bushes, dampers, wheel bearings , brakes, suspension mounts, fuel pipes etc over last few years, I'd repaired* the silencer pin holes with bean tin and gun gum and prodding of the scabby bits on the back ends of the sills and not resulted in holes, although I suspect they might not have too many more MOTs in them before they need some attention but hopefully a wire brush and underseal might do it

much relief 

Its a scruffy old thing with the wrong side of 100k on the clock and never really gets driven thanks to ULEZ scam but I still rather like it, especially after the faultless Monaco return trip, and suspect if I no longer have it nobody else would have it 

[doug]

Started up my old truck after it been sitting all winter. Started no problem. All I can see wrong with it is the tail lights are not working. Hope it's just a dodgy fuse.

Going to try and get it MOT exempt/historic on the 1st April. 

A wee pic of the fleet in team colours.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

On 28/03/2025 at 14:00, Lord Sterling said:

😲! That's where I am. Diegem to be exact.

If your free soon, let me know, we could probably do a quick AS Belgium meet up?

I'm a bit too far away this time. Next time however, I'm up for it!

 

[DoverShark]

SmolDovershark city bug has had a good clean up today. Red paint everywhere obviously. 
Black wheel trims are now in the sea

[richardmorris]

Bright but cold.

[Joey spud]

Boris has been undercover since November but with the improving weather and the clocks changing it seemed like a good time to wake him up from his hibernation.

And I have a better carb to fit that will hopefully get him running half decent.

 

[richardmorris]

Quick trip to the crematorium- chaced down a 1965 Mercedes 230sl on the dual carriage way.

[Sunny Jim]

Source of the latest coolant leak on the hearse discovered when I removed the fans.

What are the thoughts on attempting a bodge with this?

Let's zoom in

[SiC]

1 minute ago, Sunny Jim said:

Source of the latest coolant leak on the hearse discovered when I removed the fans.

What are the thoughts on attempting a bodge with this?

Let's zoom in

Might work but with that sort of leak quantity, if it fails again then you'll potentially toast the engine pretty quickly without realising. 

[lesapandre]

16 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

Source of the latest coolant leak on the hearse discovered when I removed the fans.

What are the thoughts on attempting a bodge with this?

Let's zoom in

It won't work. It's not good when it's heated. You get differential expansion and contraction - it also fails chemically. 

There may be ther metal putties that work. But not that.